Hi all,
I'm just about to make the leap to the dark side of AG and have spent the week-end getting my head around Batch sparging and the calculations.
I have worked out that I need to end up with 30litres of wort, to get a 90 min boil which ends up as 23litres.
My question is 'I have seen a Bruheat boiler, which says it is for 5 gallons. Can it hold 30 litres, so I can boil off in it, or should I really be aiming for a bigger boiler e.g. 10gallons (which all seem much more expensive)?
Thanking you all in advance,
Dave.
Using a brewheat 5 gallon bolier for 5 gallon brew.???
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Graham
Re: Using a brewheat 5 gallon bolier for 5 gallon brew.???
Excuse my impertinence, but are you really sure that you "need to end up with 30litres of wort"?discodave wrote:Hi all,
I'm just about to make the leap to the dark side of AG and have spent the week-end getting my head around Batch sparging and the calculations.
I have worked out that I need to end up with 30litres of wort, to get a 90 min boil which ends up as 23litres.
My question is 'I have seen a Bruheat boiler, which says it is for 5 gallons. Can it hold 30 litres, so I can boil off in it, or should I really be aiming for a bigger boiler e.g. 10gallons (which all seem much more expensive)?
Thanking you all in advance,
Dave.
It isn't a requirement that you need to boil down to final volume. You can start off with a lower volume in the boiler and top up to final volume with water in the fermenter.
I say this because I have used a 27 litre Burco for many years and it has been suitable for brewing 23 litres of all normal gravity beers. In fact, my limitation has been mash tun capacity if anything. Other people have been using Bruheats and Electrims for years without issue.
I will shortly be re-equipping, and I will be re-equipping bigger, but for convenience reasons rather than practical reasons. Admittedly, equipment based on 25 litre buckets can be a bit tight - it is useful to have a bit of spare capacity for emergencies and upcocks, but not essential.
Daabs suggestion of the Leyland Hombrew 33L boiler is a good one, because it is a cheaper option than a Bruheat, although from the photo on the web site the "plastic" doesn't look very dense. Someone on here may have experience using one and can confirm whether or not it goes "squidgy" at high temperatures.
Once you have decided on a boiler I would snatch one quickly, because low-cost boilers are becoming as rare as rocking horse turds, due to a lack of kettle elements to fire them with.
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Buzz
I do 23l brews and it is possible to successfully use the 5gallon bruheat boiler.
I collect 27l of wort into 2 different buckets, put about 21l into the boiler (it will hold 25l but you need to leave room for the boil) and then top up with the remainder as the boil progresses (I lose a fair bit to evaporation).
Sensibly, something like the 33l boiler would be better and, when the time comes for another boiler, I will purchase a bigger one as it's important to keep an eye on the bruheat to avoid a boil-over
but, I can confirm that the bruheat is fine for 5g brews if you bear the above in mind.
I collect 27l of wort into 2 different buckets, put about 21l into the boiler (it will hold 25l but you need to leave room for the boil) and then top up with the remainder as the boil progresses (I lose a fair bit to evaporation).
Sensibly, something like the 33l boiler would be better and, when the time comes for another boiler, I will purchase a bigger one as it's important to keep an eye on the bruheat to avoid a boil-over
but, I can confirm that the bruheat is fine for 5g brews if you bear the above in mind.
I used an Electrim 5 gal boiler for years. The only thing is I did need to boil up water in a pan and keep topping it up.
Also, you need to watch it like a hawk when it's coming up to the boil if you don't want wort all over the kitchen floor!
My 33l stainless steel jobbie is much better (though still not quite big enough to entirely eliminate the need for topping up, surprisingly - I boil for an hour and a half, though).
Also, you need to watch it like a hawk when it's coming up to the boil if you don't want wort all over the kitchen floor!
My 33l stainless steel jobbie is much better (though still not quite big enough to entirely eliminate the need for topping up, surprisingly - I boil for an hour and a half, though).
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Hammerhead
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Buzz
I boil for 2 hours and don't have too much of a problem. I put the boiler on the sink drainer right by an open window and make sure the extracor fan over the oven is on too. I'm generally in and out of my beer shed so thats the back door open a few times during the boil as well. Oh, and make sure the wife is outHammerhead wrote:On a related matter.
If you boil indoors how do you deal with the steam? .
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BarryNL
I really recommend chucking the hops in when the water temp hits about 95deg.C - since I started doing this I've never had the remotest hint of a boil-over.Jim wrote:I used an Electrim 5 gal boiler for years. The only thing is I did need to boil up water in a pan and keep topping it up.
Also, you need to watch it like a hawk when it's coming up to the boil if you don't want wort all over the kitchen floor!
Just crack a window open.Hammerhead wrote:If you boil indoors how do you deal with the steam?
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discodave
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SteveD
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Gurgeh
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greybeard54
Just sparge the wort until your hydrometer gives a reading of 05 then stop. Don't worry if you have less than 23 litres (5 galls). I often have 23 litres at start, but only 17 litres at end of boil. If your mash has gone okay all the sugars will be in the wort and at the end of the boil just dilute back to 23 litres and you should find it will be at the target gravity!